Standing nude, IV 1935

Waliszewski’s ‘Standing nude, IV’ is a drawing made with graphite. You can see it in the grainy texture that comes from the pencil on paper. I wonder what was going through Waliszewski’s head? It looks like the female figure is deep in thought, hand supporting the weight of her head. I reckon this was made quickly; the artist capturing the essence of his subject in simple strokes. It reminds me of Matisse’s drawings of nudes, just a few lines describing the figure, or maybe Modigliani, where the subject is reduced to a few essential forms. Notice how the tonal variations create depth and volume, the darker areas suggesting shadow and the lighter areas indicating highlights. There is a kind of dance between the dark and light that I always find intriguing. This drawing seems part of a broader conversation about the human form and its representation throughout art history, each artist contributing their unique perspective.